Guitar strap



June 6, 1967 5 SQTTILE 3,323,698

GUI TAR STRAP Filed July 15, 1966 INVENTOR. SAMUEL ROBERT SOTTILE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,323,698 GUITAR STRAP Samuel Robert Sottile, Patton, Pa. 16668 Filed July 15, 1966, Ser. No. 565,460 7 Claims. (Cl. 224-) In general, this invention relates to a new and improved guitar strap and, more particularly, to a guitar strap which can be utilized to more easily hold and support a guitar or similar stringed instrument while allowing for easy removal of the strap from behind the neck of the wearer and, additionally, more easily allowing him to place the strap over his head to support the instrument.

In the past, leather straps had been utilized to support guitars or similar stringed instruments. These guitar straps have been arranged in a manner whereby one end is connected to the back end of the main body of the guitar while the other end is connected either at the heel of the neck or, at the tuning end of the neck. The most accepted method of supporting the guitar has been to connect one end to the guitar at approximately the heel of the neck with the other end connected to the base of the guitar. This method of attaching a guitar strap to the guitar is a necessity as it is the only method that gives the guitarist true guitar balance allowing him extra ease while playing the guitar.

Thus, there is a relatively short length of strap which will be placed over the head of the wearer and rest against the back of his neck to support the guitar. It should be noted that in order for the guitar player to remove his guitar, it was necessary for him to unfasten the strap, at either or both ends of the guitar and then remove the strap from behind his neck. To put the guitar back on, the player had to refasten one or both ends after having placed the strap in position behind his neck. It should be understood that when the guitar was not in use, and where only one fastener had been undone, the strap would hang on the floor or would otherwise be in the way. If both ends of the strap were unfastened then the player had to make sure that he did not lose the strap.

As an alternative to unfastening either or both ends of the strap, the wearer could take the strap over his head to take off the instrument. However, since the strap was not very long, this would cause the guitar player to go through a series of contortions to enable him to pull the fixed length of short strap over his head. This process had to be repeated when the guitar player would again try to place the strap over his head with both ends still fastened. Of course, keeping both ends still fastened alleviated the problems set forth previously with respect to the dragging of a loose strap or the loss of a strap which was separated from its guitar.

In order to avoid the foregoing and other difliculties or prior art practices, the present invention contemplates the provision of a new and better guitar strap.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a new and better guitar strap which will enable the wearer to easily remove his guitar without having the ends of the guitar strap lying loosely or, in the alternative, having the guitar strap separated from the guitar.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a new and better guitar strap which provides a pleasing appearance, is as effective as prior art guitar straps, and additionally, can be easily removed without causing the guitar played to go through contortions to make the guitar strap pass over his head.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The objects of this invention are achieved by providing a guitar strap having an elastic strip secured to the back of the guitar strap adjacent one end thereof and Patented June 6, 1967 having at the end of the elastic strip a fastener similar to the fastener of the guitar strap so that, when in use, both fasteners are attached to the guitar and, therefore, the guitar strap functions as an ordinary guitar strap. When it is desired to remove the guitar strap from over the head of the wearer, only the one end of the strap associated with the elastic strip is released, the guitar still being supported between the elastic strip fastener and the other end of the guitar strap. Then, the wearer need only stretch the guitar strap over his head utilizing the inherent characteristics of the elastic strip. Accordingly, no ends of the guitar strap will be left to trail on the floor or ground, and the guitar strap will remain fastened to the guitar and thus cannot be lost.

When the player wished to again place .the guitar strap over his head, he need only stretch it in the same manner as when he took the strap off. Then, after the guitar strap is in place he can reaffix the one end of the guitar strap which had been previously released. At this point, the guitar strap is in position for supporting the guitar.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a plan view of a guitar supported by the guitar strap of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the elastic strip end of the guitar strap of FIGURE 1 showing the one end of the guitar strap, associated with the elastic strip, un-

fastened from the guitar so that the guitar can be re- I moved by the player.

In FIGURE 1, there is shown a guitar 10 supported by the gu-itar strap 12 built in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The guitar 10 has a body 11 and a neck 13 with strings supported along the neck and on the main body (not shown). The body 11, at the bottom thereof has a strap button 16. The guitar strap 12, has a first end 18 with slots 20 therein which operate as button holes for securing the one end 18 to the strap button 16. A neck cushion 22 is slidably mounted on the guitar strap 12 for placement behind the neck of the wearer to prevent cutting of the wearers neck by the strap 12 during normal usage. The strap 12 is, in the better made straps, manufactured of leather substitutes such as non-elastic plastic or the like.

Adjacent the heel of the neck 13 on the body 11 there is positioned a strap button 24. The position of the strap button 24 varies with guitars, and sometimes is found on the body 11, the underside of the neck 13, or in any other desired position. For purposes of clarity, the strap button 24 is shown on the body 11.

The belt 12 has a second end 26 with button holes 28 formed therein for connection over the strap button 24 to support the guitar at both ends of straps 12. Thus, in normal use, with both ends 18 and 26 fastened to the strap buttons 16 and 24, the guitar will be supported about the neck of the player. However, it should be noted that in order for the guitar player to remove the guitar 10 from about his neck, it would be necessary, without removing either of the ends 18 and 20 to force the strap 12 over his head. Since this is a relatively short length of strap, this will require some physical contortions on the part of the guitar player and, accordingly, is undesirable.

In order to avoid this problem, an elastic strip 30 is provided with its one end 32 fixedly secured, as by sewing; or otherwise, to the second end 26 spaced from the button hole 28. The elastic strip 30 has a separate button hole 34 at its other end which is adapted to be placed over the strap button 24. The length of the elastic strip 30 is substantially equal to the distance between the point at and the second end 26 are secured over the strap button 24. The strip 30 has a width slightly less than the second end 26 and, further, should be manufactured of a material which is inobtrusive in appearance so as not to be noticed. It is preferable that the sewing 36 which secures the elastic Strip 30 to the second end 26 is not obvious on the outer surface of the strap 12.

In use, both the button hole 28 on the second end 26 and button hole 34 on the elastic strip 30 are placed over the strap button 24.

When in use, both strap ends 18 and 26 and the elastic strip 30 are connected to the strap buttons 16 and 24 as shown in FIGURE 1 to support the guitar 10. To remove the guitar and its strap, the guitar player need merely take the second end 26 off from the strap button 24 leaving the elastic strip 30 thereon. Then, it is only necessary to stretch the guitar strap 12 by stretching the elastic strip 30 which allows the guitar strap to easily pass over the head of the wearer 'without requiring any physical contortions. The guitar and guitar strap then removed has the guitar strap still connected at both ends to the guitar so that one end will not trail on the fioor as has occurred in the past nor would there be a chance for the guitar strap 12 to be lost. When the guitar was again to be played, the guitar strap 12 would again be stretched over the head of the player by merely stretching the elastic strip 30. Once the guitar strap was in place, the second end 26 would the refastened to the strap button 24 and the guitar strap would then act as a nonelastic support for the guitar as in the past.

It should be realized that the second end 26 and its associated elastic member 30 could be used with the strap button 16 and the one end 18 use with the strap button 24 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Further, if desired, both ends of the guitar strap 12 could have an elastic strip associated therewith similar to the elastic strip 39.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A guitar strap for supporting a guitar comprising a flexible substantially non-elastic strap having a first fastening means at one end for connection to one point on a guitar, said guitar strap having second fastening means at the opposite end thereof for connection to a second point on a guitar, elastic bypass means associated with said one end of said guitar strap, said elastic bypass means having a fastening means for connection to the one point on the guitar, said elastic bypass means being operative when said one end fastening means is unfastened from the one point on the guitar to elastically maintain said guitar strap connected to the guitar between the one and the second points on the guitar.

2. The guitar strap of claim 1 wherein said elastic bypass means is a flexible strip, said flexible strip having one end thereof connected to said guitar strap one end and the other free end thereof having a fastening means thereon for connection to the one point on the guitar.

3. The guitar strap of claim 2 wherein said guitar strap one end fastening means is a button hole, said elastic strip fastening means being a button hole.

4. The guitar strap of claim 3 wherein said guitar strap is manufactured of leather.

5. The guitar strap of claim 2 wherein said elastic strip, in its unstretched position, has a length substantially equal to the distance between the point of fastening said elastic strip to the guitar strap one end and the tip of the guitar strap one end, said elastic strip having a width slightly less than the width of guitar strap one end.

6. The guitar strap for supporting a guitar of claim 1 in combination with a guitar, said guitar having a first mating fastener at the one point thereon for mating with said guitar strap first fastening means, said guitar having a second mating fastener at the second point thereon for mating connection with said guitar strap second fastening means.

7. The guitar strap combination of claim 6 wherein said guitar includes a body and a neck extending therefrom, said guitar body having a button at the back thereof forming said guitar first mating fastener, said guitar having a second button adjacent the juncture point between said neck and said body, said second button being said second mating fastener, said guitar strap first and second fastening means being button holes, said elastic bypass means fastening means being a button hole.

No references cited.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GUITAR STRAP FOR SUPPORTING A GUITAR COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SUBSTANTIALLY NON-ELASTIC STRAP HAVING A FIRST FASTENING MEANS AT ONE END FOR CONNECTION TO ONE POINT ON A GUITAR, SAID GUITAR STRAP HAVING SECOND FASTENING MEANS AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF FOR CONNECTION TO A SECOND POINT ON A GUITAR, ELASTIC BYPASS MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ONE END OF SAID GUITAR STRAP, SAID ELASTIC BYPASS MEANS HAVING A FASTENING MEANS FOR CONNECTION TO THE ONE 